Hudson says goodbye to Paul Cellucci

Saturday

Jun 15, 2013 at 12:01 AMJun 15, 2013 at 3:02 PM

Known around the world by many titles, including governor and ambassador, Arego Paul Cellucci’s two favorite titles were Dad and Grampy. Cellucci’s two daughters, Kate Garnett Cellucci and Anne Adams, told a standing-room-only crowd at Cellucci’s funeral Mass at St. Michael Parish Friday that, despite serving as the governor of Massachusetts and later the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Cellucci always had time to take his daughters to the movies, take his family out for ice cream, attend his daughters’ sporting events and play with his grandchildren.

Jeff Malachowski/Daily News staff

Known around the world by many titles, including governor and ambassador, Arego Paul Cellucci’s two favorite titles were Dad and Grampy.

Cellucci’s two daughters, Kate Garnett Cellucci and Anne Adams, told a standing-room-only crowd at Cellucci’s funeral Mass at St. Michael Parish Friday that, despite serving as the governor of Massachusetts and later the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Cellucci always had time to take his daughters to the movies, take his family out for ice cream, attend his daughters’ sporting events and play with his grandchildren.

"His most important names are Paul, Dad and Grampy," said Kate Garnett Cellucci, who lovingly tapped his flag-draped casket, as she told stories about her father. "Any event you would need a dad at, he was there."

Before more than 600 mourners, including Gov. Deval Patrick, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Gov. William Weld, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and William "Mo" Cowan, and many other state and local officials said their final goodbyes, Cellucci’s daughters took turns telling stories about their father, who died Saturday after a battle with ALS, known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, while he was out of the spotlight.

While Cellucci was visiting his daughter Anne and her family in Pennsylvania a few years ago, Anne and her husband Craig came home one day to find Cellucci hanging off the railing of the front steps of the family’s home. When Anne asked her dad what he was doing, he simply said he was playing pirates with his grandchildren.

"He was the most unbelievable grandfather," said Adams.

Not even amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) could stop Cellucci from spending time with his grandchildren, as he spent every Tuesday and Thursday playing with them.

"It didn’t matter what they were playing as long as they were together," said Kate Garnett Cellucci.

The sisters recounted Paul's 41-year marriage to his wife Jan, who stuck by his side during his fight with ALS. Adams said her father was always concerned about how his disease was impacting his wife.

"The minute my dad was diagnosed with ALS, my mom literally stopped everything else in her life and never left his side," said Adams.

Along with his family, Cellucci’s friends and the Hudson community remained near and dear to his heart throughout his 65 years.

Cellucci stayed close to his Hudson roots and often returned to have a meal at Nick’s Restaurant or visit with his best friend Bob Yesue.

Cellucci’s daughters described their father and Yesue as two peas in a pod and said one Christmas the two exchanged gifts and bought each other the same shirt, right down to the style, color and size.

"Our family had quite a laugh that day," said Kate Garnett Cellucci.

Outside the church on Friday, friends Jim Kane and Steve Dodge remembered Paul Cellucci as a polite, kind man who treated everyone as an equal.

"I never heard him not say thank you," said Dodge.

Kane said Cellucci sought out the best in everyone and truly cared about Hudson and its citizens.

"He’s a great guy," said Kane.

Remembered by many as Hudson’s native son, Cellucci’s work at the State House and the White House, as the U.S. ambassador to Canada, and his efforts to help cure ALS will forever be remembered by the Hudson community.

"Hudson was his home base," said Kate Garnett Cellucci. "He would not want it any other way. He loved Hudson and its people."

Jeff Malachowski can be reached at 508-490-7466 or jmalachowski@wickedlocal.com.